Chapter 22 - The Mastermind Hunted
The revelation that Marcus Thorne was the true architect of the shadow syndicate hit me with the force of a physical blow. The man I had begged for help, the man who had guided me through the biometric security of the Geneva bank, had been orchestrating my assassination from a quiet suburb in Seattle.
"He used me to steal Julian's ledger so he could eliminate his own partner," I realized, the pieces of the terrifying puzzle finally clicking together. "Marcus wanted Julian arrested in Switzerland so he could take over the entire global operation."
"Exactly," Hayes agreed, his face hard. "Marcus underestimated your resilience. He didn't expect you to survive the vault, and he certainly didn't expect you to locate the secondary platinum key. He panicked and sent a brute-force hit squad to your condo."
"Where is he now?" I demanded, a fierce, unapologetic rage replacing my exhaustion.
"He vanished," Hayes admitted in frustration. "The moment the raid on your condo failed, his Seattle safehouse went dark. But a man like Marcus Thorne doesn't run without his money. And thanks to the ledger you recovered, we know exactly where his money is."
Hayes brought up a global map on the screen. "Marcus has a massive, highly illegal crypto-mining farm located in an abandoned industrial sector in Reykjavik, Iceland. It's the central hub for washing all of his syndicate's digital currency. If he wants to disappear permanently, he has to access those servers to extract his funds."
"Then we go to Iceland," I stated firmly, standing up from my chair.
Hayes looked at me, genuinely surprised. "Maya, your part in this is over. You survived. You handed us the keys to dismantle a global empire. Let the FBI handle the manhunt."
"Marcus Thorne manipulated my husband, destroyed my marriage, targeted my home, and nearly killed you in my living room," I said, locking eyes with the prosecutor. "I am not sitting on the sidelines while he gets away. I know how he thinks. I know how he operates. I am going with you."
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Hayes stared at me for a long, silent moment. He saw the unyielding fire in my eyes—the unbreakable resolve of a woman who refused to be a victim ever again.
"Pack a heavy coat," Hayes finally said, a reluctant smile touching the corners of his mouth. "Iceland is freezing this time of year."
